A man has been fined S$40,000 for pretending to be a licensed estate agent. Mr Raymond Sim Soon Leong was sentenced on May 25. He will have to serve eight weeks in jail if he cannot pay the fine. The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) said on Monday that Sim was fined for two property transactions. Sim was charged on 20 October last year representing himself as a sales agent when he was not registered...
Property Agents
A former property agent has been sentenced to 12 weeks' jail for using fake stamp certificates, the first of such offences be punished. Desmond Tan Hock Heng, 24, pleaded guilty to five charges under the Stamp Duties Act. Three other similar charges were taken into consideration. Tan was sentenced to another two weeks' jail for criminal breach of trust. Tan was with HSR Property Group for less than a...
Following a series of complaints regarding unprofessional conduct, the Council for Estate Agencies is clamping down on aggressive and questionable marketing strategies used by some property agencies. According to the Straits Times, the CEA recently called on agency bosses to remind them of the proper implementation of existing laws. For one, the CEA reiterated that setting up tents and other structures by...
While the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) considers a potentially shorter timeframe for dispute resolution, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan has responded to Singaporeans’ feedback over a recent blog post about the CEA entitled ‘A Very Busy First Year’. Mr Khaw expressed gratitude for the feedback, highlighting that the views agreed on were improving public education for consumers,...
The number of property agents registered with the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) has fallen by nearly 11 per cent since new rules kicked in a year ago. As of Jan 1, there were about 30,600 real estate agents licensed to practice, down from 34,300 last January. There are also fewer property agencies in business - down by 5 per cent to less than 1,500. The estate agency watchdog said property agents...
The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) will continue to take steps to enhance industry standards as well as protect consumers, wrote Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan in his latest blog post. “We set up the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) to raise the professionalism of the industry so as to better protect consumer interest. CEA has now completed its first full year,” Mr Khaw...
he Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) has launched its first educational brochure Monday on estate agency work. CEA said its part of its outreach effort to equip consumers with essential knowledge to help them experience a smooth property transaction. Called "Consumer Tips for Engaging a Real Estate Salesperson", the guide provides a reference to those who wish to engage the services of real estate...
Eleven real estate agencies have joined hands to launch an electronic network that will provide exclusive property listings and transactions details in real time. Called the Singapore Real Estate Exchange (SRX), the network enables agents to access up-to-date information like transacted prices and rentals. The SRX, which was soft-launched in July this year, is already seeing an average of about 300...
A second person was charged on Thursday with representing himself as a property agent without being registered with the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA). 30-year-old Raymond Sim Soon Leong was also charged with failing to obtain a written authorisation from a licensed real estate firm before practising. Despite being unregistered and unauthorised, CEA said in a media release that Sim had advertised two...
The authorities are getting tougher on errant estate agencies and agents. Industry watchdog, the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) has formed an Inspection and Compliance Section - aimed at detecting infringements and unethical behaviours. Executive director of CEA, Chionh Chye Khye said: "Staff will carry out inspection and compliance checks to ensure that estate agents have in place proper systems for...